Going to start looking for a new job, any advice?

[Insomniac]

So, I've been at the same company for a little over 8 years. I've moved about as far as I probably will within the company. I've probably stayed twice as long as I should of (if I only did what was in the best interest of my career) because it was easy. Not necessarily the work, but I was content. The pay isn't the highest in the industry (software engineering), and the benefits aren't the world's best, but I work from home, am allowed a very flexible schedule as long as my average is 40 hrs/week. I rarely if ever work more than 40 hours a week. If I do, I get paid to do it.

You may be asking, why do I want to leave? I see the writing on the wall. In a year or so things will begin to go down hill and in 3 years it will be a mess. I want to get out before that happens.

So, I've read that sites like Monster.com are pretty useless at this point. That practically everyone has their resume on them. I'm low on contacts out here in Kansas since I work from home. Any suggestions on finding a job? Get a headhunter? I prefer not to move. And I know getting a flexible work schedule (and working from home still) isn't an easy proposition. I'd actually like to be in an office some.

So, does anyone recommend any of the job sites? Should I just scatter my resume everywhere I can and see what sticks? It's been a while since I actually looked for a job, and to be honest, I never looked hard after graduating. Almost every company I gave my resume to offered me a job, and I even got an interview/job offer from Sikorsky when I accidentally made my resume public on Monster.com. I'm not trying to brag, the job market in 2000 in high tech was booming. It's not like I was the only person I graduated with to have no problem finding a job. Just saying I haven't been out there looking in a long time. I'm hoping some people may have some good advice, and heck, maybe even some headhunters post here and can say where they generally look for good candidates.

[Michaelhatesfans]

Do the Kevin Spacey American Beauty thing. Then take some time off and enjoy the racing season.:thumbup:

[Sean Malone]

Headhunter.

Try an IT specific placement company like Veredus. I've had luck with them in the past and still communicate with the headhunter. You can work for them as a contracted employee to see if you 'like' the place and then switch.

http://www.vereduscorp.com/

The job websites only produce spam email and phone calls with people pretending to want to give you a job but it's really only fly by night placement companies that want you on their payroll so that they can draw from any temp jobs they get you, which are typically crap.

[Andrew Longman]

In today's economy, you should always be looking for a job. It is just smart career planning.

I'm not suggesting constant job jumping but being actively involved in knowing what the market is for your skills and the possibilities that are out there. It is important to constantly challenge and confirm what you are worth, what you can do, and what you really want to do.

So, first be clear about what you really want and need from your job. Where is your passion? If you only want to crunch the same code in the same type role, then it is simply a matter of finding the highest paid position with the healthiest company. That's cool and simple, but if there are other fires burning be honest with yourself about it.

Monster and the like are fine. All employers today use them. But you need to refresh your resume periodically because employers only search for recent postings. Anything more than a month old is going to be ignored.

Much more important, and this is where knowing what you want comes in, most companies now require that you apply through their website. So it is important to have a list of companies you would like to work for and search their sites for jobs you would be interested in. Even if it is not the perfect match, starting the conversation with them about what would be is the key and that doesn't happen unless you apply for SOME job.

The internet has made it all too easy to apply for a job and for companies to find applicants so you have to jump in and find a way to cut through that clutter. It also means they don't have to do anything except troll the internet.

I also suggest joining an industry organization or organization tied to your passion. The best way to cut through the internet clutter is to have a relationship within your network that will put you in front of the right person at the right time.

But do all this when you are employed. You will interview so much better when you don't need the job, but simply have passion for the possibility.

[cameraman]

Hmmm, I've been doing the same work for 20 years now. Not that the tools & techniques I am doing today even existed 20 years ago but I was and am still a research molecular biologist and I'm still in the same corner of the same building I was in 1988. The research constantly evolves, the goals change, the tools constantly change and Lord knows the funding agencies change but the bathroom has remain unchanged for two decades now. It just happens that I like basic research and there are only two places to do it. Biotech companies that come and go with the vagaries of the venture capitalists and University/foundation based non-profits. The non-profits don't pay as much as industry but it is more interesting work therefore a far more interesting & pleasant job.

Given the state of federal funding there is not a single job opening at this university for any level of laboratory biologist at the moment and I don't see things getting any better very soon. Hopefully we will weather the current administration and everyone is counting on the next administration, whichever one it turns out to be, not being as anti-science as the current one is...

[OW]

Don't lock in to any hunter firm #1, it's limiting, and even if you find your own job they *have* you

Use the Internet:
HotJobs
Monster
Careerbuilder

I did it to get jobs at
Transunion
USG
Culligan
and now at GE where I am for 3 years

Be ready to be a *contractor* even 1099, but W2s are available with most *finders*

You will have to be brokered...unless you want to pay the $700.00 to a Grand Fee to look like *the employer side* on the job sites. so the $60 bucks an hour you make will be billed to the customer as TWICE that.....I hate it too

You are looking for relationships and as a single person you don't have it.
Monster, Careerbuilder, and HotJobs *lookers* do

There are sites for Independents for like $60 a month (cut out the middle man) But I never wanted to pay the $60 bucks; probably stupid.

The *finders* don't know you from a hole in the ground and add no value except to get the Job; They look at the same sites and (maybe give Vacation time and a conduit to legal benefits you pay for)

You will wish "Your name was always out there" to get the $120 an hour (other than building a consulting firm)

Direct Web Posts you fill in for companies go to some old HR lady's (sorry gals) hard drive and nothing happens.

my $.02


I left HP after 25 years and am still building a name, so starting now is SMART by YOU

OW

Oh and also, you get calls from many Hunters AFTER you are placed somewhere....Not a bad thing.....
The more you *Touch* your resume on the "career" sites, the more you surface, (less deep searches for them)

[nrc]

First you max out your credit cards, then you give your boss a piece of your mind... Sorry, wrong approach.

I worked in a "job for life" culture for 18 years. When that company crashed and burned I had no clue about the job market and no network to speak of. The "Career Transition" assistance they provided really hammered on networking but most of my friends and associates had already been laid off.

Since that time I've tried to always stay aware of the job market and always be aware of networking opportunities. Just from doing that I've had a couple of inquiries on my interest in jobs from contacts even though I haven't been actively looking.

As others have mentioned, the problem is that everyone is using online systems (either their own, Monster, or something else) and those systems are flooded with resumes from people who include everything they can think regardless of aptitude. Screening those resumes is a monumental task and it's the reason so many companies go through agencies and head hunters.

If you're qualified, getting your resume past that mess to the hiring manager is the biggest hurdle these days. That's where a head-hunter or a friend of a friend can be a big help.

With head hunters you need to find ones that you can trust to get you into the right interviews. Some will just try to shotgun you to every position they can think of even if you don't fit the requirements. You end up wasting a lot of people's time and not making a very good impression. That could get your resume thrown out later when there's a real opportunity.

When working with a head hunter you need to be very clear on who you have and haven't contacted either on your own or through another head hunter. Legal hassles on who has "first dibs" on a candidate have gotten more than a few good candidates thrown out.

To get started networking try linkedin.com . It makes it easy to locate people that you've worked with or gone to school with who are interested in networking.

Good luck!

[Sean Malone]

... or a friend of a friend can be a big help....
!

"It's all who you know". - a guy who knew someone. :)

[Ankf00]

I'm guessing there's not much of a WVU alumni network out that way :D

For networking, for me it's the alumni assoc (I'm lucky that we've got the 4th largest chapter outside of the state past NYC, LA, and we're on par w/ DC), a couple of industry assoc's, and surprisingly my personal relationships from my UT boards have afforded me as much opportunity as all the former options combined.

But hey, at least you're leaving on your own terms. Beat's searching for work on severance :)

[Insomniac]

Thanks for the advice guys!

What looks better on a Resume?

1. Project Manager (only 3.5 - 4 people including me.)
2. Lead Engineer (managing ~5-10 engineers.)

Is it better to lead a bigger team or get more project management experience (I'd guess the differences would lie in dealing with budgets. I imagine both still have to do plenty of scheduling.)

[tllips]

If you've had responsibilities for both, put them both on the resume.

I was hired as a finance manager in my current position, but they also liked my Operations experience. I am currently setting up/streamlining their small warehouse operation in addition to my finance responsibilities.

[Sean Malone]

Thanks for the advice guys!

What looks better on a Resume?

1. Project Manager (only 3.5 - 4 people including me.)
2. Lead Engineer (managing ~5-10 engineers.)

Is it better to lead a bigger team or get more project management experience (I'd guess the differences would lie in dealing with budgets. I imagine both still have to do plenty of scheduling.)

Do you have your PMP? If not I would describe your PM work in a narrative. Is it a narrative resume?

[Insomniac]

Do you have your PMP? If not I would describe your PM work in a narrative. Is it a narrative resume?

No PMP. I didn't mean I had that experience. I've talked to a couple competing companies who also do work for NASA that know me (or of me by reputation) and that was a couple of the openings they had that were interesting to me.

I was wondering what was more valued. The title or the number of people you manage/lead. I don't have a narrative resume. Just a concise one listing major accomplishments on projects and skills and your usual other stuff (education, memberships, certifications)

[nrc]

Oh, and another thing. Canvas the web sites of companies that you think you might like to work for. There are still plenty of companies who only resort to Monster or other outside sources if they're not getting good candidates through their own channels.

[RusH]

In today's economy, you should always be looking for a job. It is just smart career planning.


Truer words have never been spoken.
It`s bad out there...real bad. I just landed a tech job after 6 months of looking at online job sites......all worthless.
A former employee helped me out. Good thing I was a good boss in the day.:D

[Insomniac]

In today's economy, you should always be looking for a job. It is just smart career planning.

What do you mean by looking? Interviewing?

[Insomniac]

Oh, and another thing. Canvas the web sites of companies that you think you might like to work for. There are still plenty of companies who only resort to Monster or other outside sources if they're not getting good candidates through their own channels.

Yeah, I've been doing that. Trying to find a small company with people my age (late 20s - early 30s) just doing work of benefit to people. I want to work somewhere where there are people smarter than me so I can learn from them. I also want to work somewhere with other driven people. A lot of engineers at my company spend 3-4 good hours a day playing Counter-Strike.

So people my age, laid back work environment (no dress code, besides clothes :)), flexible work hours and doing good work. I'd even move to work there. That's not too much to ask, right? :D